An Innovative Approach to Reducing Medical Care Utilization and Costs

David Orme-Johnson, Ph.D. and Robert E. Herron, Ph.D.

Abstract

This eleven-year study assessed medical utilization and expenditures of a group participating in a multi-component prevention program, the Maharishi Vedic Approach to Health^SM (MVAH). Archival data from Blue Cross/Blue Shield (BC/BS) of Iowa for MVAH (n = 693) were compared with statewide norms for 1985 through 1995 (norm, n = 600,000) and with a demographically matched control group (control, n = 4,148) for 1990, 1991, 1994, and 1995. MVAH four-year total medical expenditures per person were 59% lower than the norm and 57% lower than the control. MVAH had lower utilization and expenditures for all age groups, and for all disease categories. Control’s hospital admission rates were 11.4 times higher than MVAH for cardiovascular disease, 3.3 times higher for cancer, 6.7 times higher for mental health and substance abuse. The greatest savings were for MVAH subjects over 45 years; they had 88% fewer total patient days than controls.

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